January 25, 2012

Happy Burns Day!

Robert Burns (1759 – 1796), happy date of birth, lad …

I wanted to find a poem of his that I hadn’t previously read, and, coming across a few, I really enjoyed the following (hope you do too) …


*****

Love in the Guise of Friendship

Talk not of love, it gives me pain,
For love has been my foe;
He bound me in an iron chain,
And plung'd me deep in woe.

But friendship's pure and lasting joys,
My heart was form'd to prove;
There, welcome win and wear the prize,
But never talk of love.

Your friendship much can make me blest,
O why that bliss destroy?
Why urge the only, one request
You know I will deny?

Your thought, if Love must harbour there,
Conceal it in that thought;
Nor cause it in that thought;
Nor cause me from my bosom tear
The very friend I sought.

2 comments:

Erin O'Riordan said...

My hometown will hold its Burns Nicht supper tomorrow.

The Sarjent said...

I love your blog! Thanks for categorising and sharing some new poets to look at. Of course Burns is an oldie but a goodie :) I have a very old book of his poems that my father left me, I shall try and find it again.

The Poets

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